W. J. Usery, Jr., oral history interview, 1987-08-26 (Tape 17)

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Usery's impressions of NASA, his transition into a mediator, and the influence of national politics and trends on work and labor-management relations are the main topics covered on this tape. The crisis nature of NASA contracts as well as the strict secrecy of some NASA projects and their respective effects on labor relationships are discussed. Usery offers his impression of the space program's leadership and describes his experience with the fire accident at the Cape which killed three astronauts. Tragedies at the Cape and labor's reactions are similarly noted, along with cross-industry growth and modernization as a result of the space program. Usery then discusses the airline strikes of 1967 and mentions Jim Reynolds. A description of Usery's transition into mediation, including a description of a good mediator and labor negotiations are given. Larry Silberman is mentioned. Usery then notes at length the influence of national politics or trends on work and labor-management relations, while describing his work on Adlai Stevenson's campaign. The influence of Presidential transition on Usery's work is explained as is the influence of the Eisenhower administration on politics at the Cape. On labor relations in the space program and collective bargaining: "We've already said that President Kennedy, in the early days when he first became President, that we would land a man on the moon in this decade and return him safely. That became a goal and objective and nothing is to get in the way for us to do that. And then on the other hand, you're having some agencies who want their programs to take priority who are not as concerned about the cost of that program as others are from that point. It wasn't an easy road for management or for labor and never has been to negotiate in that environment. It's remarkable how labor and management have adjusted to that. But it's more, I think credit goes more or should go more, to collective bargaining--and I said earlier, collective bargaining can adjust to all kinds of elements if the parties will allow it."

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